Process of yellowing green leaf-tobacco



(No Model.)

J. P MGQUOWN.

Process of Y No. 240,604.

ellowing Green L eafj'Tobaooo.

PatenteqApril 26,1881.

y the action of hot air.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicEc MGQUOWN, 0E

WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

PROCESS OF YELL'OWING GREEN LEAF-TOBACCO.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 240,604, dated April 26, 1881. Application filed February 8, 1881. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, J AMEs F. McQUoWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Osceola, in the county of Washington and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Yellowing GreenLeaf-Tobacco; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to impart a uniform yellow color to green leaf-tobacco in a simple, perfect,and expeditious manner. I attain this result bysubjecting green leaf-tobacco contained or suspended in a house or chamber to the direct action of steam, and steam alone, which brings the entire lot of tobacco treated into a uniform yellow state, and it is afterward cured in the usual Way.

I am well aware that leaf-tobacco has heretofore been treated with steam for the purpose of curing ordrying the same; but in themany existing processes making use of steam for the object stated the tobacco is not subjected to the action of the steam alone while it is yet in a green condition.

I am also aware that it has been proposed to yellow green leaf-tobacco by exposingit to This process, however, is not always successful. The expulsion or evaporation of the sap is apt to leave the tobacco in a crisp and dry condition, and in many instances will serve to cure the same, or give it a dark appearance.

It has also been proposed to cure tobacco yellow by the combined action of smoke and steam, the steam in this instance being generated within the tobacco-house in pans or vessels. This process is defective because the smoke darkens the tobacco and gives it an undesirable color and flavor, and the steam used in connection with thesmoke cannot be much of a factor in attaining the contemplated result, because it is generated in such an uncertain or irregular` manner, and is not capable of being controlled.

In the drawings is illustrated an apparatus which is preferably employed for carrying' out my process. y

Figure l is a plan view of the boiler and system of steam-distributing pipes, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section, showing the tobacco house or receiver and system of pipes`.`

The letter A designates the base or substructure of the tobacco house or receiver, and Bis the upper part thereof,- in which the tobacco is suspended in the usual way.

A system of steam circulating and distribut ing pipes, C, extend around the walls of the tobacco-house, and are connected by means of transverse pipes O. These pipes, instead of being made of metal or masonry, are constructed of strips of wood nailed or otherwise fastcned together, so as to form square pipes. The

tubes are perforated, either on their sides or top, for the proper discharge of the steam.

A pipe, D, communicates with a steam-boiler, E, located outside the tobacco-house.

Dam pers or gates F are provided in the wallpipe and center pipe, by means of which the steam can beshut o" from either side of the house, as desired, and by means of a damper or valve, G, in theinlet-pipe D, the distributingpipes can be entirely shut off from the boiler.

The boiler is constructed of wooden sides, ends, and top and a sheet-iron bottom, and is arranged over a suitable furnace. The whole system of pipes has a slight upward inclination from the boiler, so that the condensed steam will run back into the boiler, or some of the pipes may have one or more holes in the bottom to let off the condensed steam. The boiler has a suitable trap to permit the escape of the steam when it is shut off from the tobacco-house.

The apparatus is constructed in the vmanner above described in orderthat it can be quickly Y and cheaply manufactured by an ordinary carpenter, so that it can come Within the reach of the small farmers who could not otherwise af ford to use it. Moreover, the boiler and pipes cannot rust, which is in itself a great advantage.

` The manner of carrying out 'my process by means of the apparatus above described is as follows, viz: The green leaftobacco is susa rcio pended in the house or receiver' at a suitable distance above the distributing-pipes. The steam generated in the external boiler is then admitted into the pipes and is dischaged therefrom through the numerous holes therein. The ascending steam comes in contact with the tobacco, and it permeates the green tissues of the leaf and expels the sap therefrom, causing atv the same time, by chemical reaction, a change of color of the green leaf. This is due to the fact that the steam takes the place of the sap, or a portion thereof, and by doing so it imparts the yellow color to the leaf-tobacco, which is so much desired by consumers and others.

The yellowing of tobacco can by my process be effected in a thorough and perfect manner, and the product is a uniform light-yellow leaf which is entirely free from spots. During the earlier stage of the process such portions of lthetobacco as have reached the yellow state are held back by the action ot'l the steam and prevented from curing. This is continued until the entire lot is brought up to the same uniform color, when the yellowing stage ceases, and the/tobacco is then ready to be cured, and may be cured by any of the well-known processes.

The apparatus shown by me can also he used to assist in curing the tobacco, and when this is the case I employa reservoir, M, for holding steam, which is located outside the house and connected with the boiler or steam-generator. This reservoir hasa pipe,N, leading into the tobacco-house, of sufficient size to enable the steam to be admitted into the latter in large quantities or in the form of a cloud, or it may be properly connected With the system of distributing-pipes for the same purpose. When this reservoir is used the steam is shut off from the distributing-[npcs and admitted only into the reservoir, and the contents of the reservoir is admitted into the curing-house, in the manner above described, at intervals of from ten to fifteen minutes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byy Letters Patent, is The process of yellowing leaf-tobacco, consisting in subjecting the same While still ina green state to the regular and direct action of steam, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affixY my signature in presence of two Witnesses. JAMES F. MCQUOWN.

Witnesses: a

A. LONG, A. M. TANNER. 

